Specialty Homes · Missouri & Kansas
First-Time Home Buyer Help in the Kansas City Area
Buying your first home is easier when you know what help is out there. This page covers the state down payment programs in Missouri and Kansas, where to find a free or low-cost housing counselor, and the basic steps from budget to closing.
On this page:
- Missouri: MHDC homebuyer programs
- Kansas: KHRC First Time Homebuyer Program
- City and county housing offices
- Free and low-cost housing counseling
- Steps to buy your first home
Missouri: MHDC homebuyer programs
MHDC First Place Program
Statewide Missouri · All Missouri counties, MO
First Place offers mortgage rates below regular market rates for first-time buyers and qualified veterans. It also has an option for cash help with down payment and closing costs. You apply through an MHDC Certified Lender, and income and purchase price limits apply.
MHDC Next Step Program
Statewide Missouri · All Missouri counties, MO
Next Step is for first-time and repeat buyers whose income is above the First Place limits. Cash help for the down payment and closing costs may be available, with no minimum down payment, through Certified Lenders.
Related city guides: Kansas City, MO · Independence · Blue Springs · Lee's Summit · Liberty · Belton
Kansas: KHRC First Time Homebuyer Program
The Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC) offers a 0% interest loan for the down payment and closing costs. It equals 15% or 20% of the purchase price, has no monthly payments, and is forgiven if you stay in the home 10 years (as of Nov. 9, 2026). Buyers must be first-time buyers, or must not have owned a home in three years, with household income at or below 80% of the area median. Buyers put in 1% to 10% of the price from their own funds.
Note: KHRC assistance can't be used in Johnson County or inside the city limits of Kansas City, Lawrence, Topeka or Wichita. Those areas run their own federal housing funds. Miami County towns like Paola and Louisburg aren't on that excluded list. Check eligibility for a specific address with KHRC or a participating lender.
- Apply through a KHRC participating lender
- Required HUD housing counseling and homebuyer education are part of the process
- Existing homes qualify. New construction counts only if the contract is signed after the certificate of occupancy.
Sources: KHRC: First Time Homebuyer · KHRC FTHB Fact Sheet (3/19/26)
Related city guides: Paola · Louisburg · Bonner Springs · Kansas City, KS · Overland Park · Olathe
City and county housing offices
KCMO Housing and Community Development
Kansas City · Jackson County, MO
The city's housing department at City Hall, 414 E. 12th St., runs the Land Bank (816-513-9020) and home repair programs. Main line: 816-513-3200.
Source: City of Kansas City, MO
KC Missouri Homesteading Authority
Kansas City · Jackson, Clay and Platte Counties, MO
The city's Homesteading Authority sells houses and vacant lots at discounted prices to buyers who agree to repair and care for them. The deal includes a deed restriction requiring the repairs.
Source: City of Kansas City, MO
Johnson County Housing Services
Johnson County · Johnson County, KS
Johnson County Housing Services runs home repair and weatherization programs for income-eligible homeowners. Call 913-715-6600 to ask about current programs.
Source: City of Shawnee
Unified Government Community Development
Kansas City · Wyandotte County, KS
The Unified Government gives federal HOME funds to local nonprofit housing groups. Those groups mainly fix up and sell vacant single-family homes or build new ones for income-eligible buyers.
Related city guides: Kansas City, MO · Kansas City, KS · Shawnee · Overland Park · Olathe
Free and low-cost housing counseling
HUD-approved housing counselors give independent advice on buying a home, your credit, and whether a loan offer fits your budget. Fees for buyer counseling, if any, must be reasonable and shared up front. Agencies must waive fees for clients who can't afford them. Some programs, like KHRC's, require homebuyer education.
- Search by ZIP code with the CFPB counselor finder, or call 855-411-2372
- HUD counseling help line: 800-569-4287
Sources: CFPB: Find a Housing Counselor · HUD: About Housing Counseling
Steps to buy your first home
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau breaks home buying into four stages. Here's how they fit together with the programs above.
- Prepare to shop: check your credit report, track spending and set a budget
- Meet a counselor and a lender. Ask if you qualify for MHDC (Missouri) or KHRC (Kansas) help.
- Explore loan choices and get preapproved, then tour homes with your agent
- Choose a loan offer: compare official Loan Estimates from more than one lender
- Get ready to close: finish your paperwork and review your Closing Disclosure
Sources: CFPB: Buying a house
Related city guides: Kansas City, MO · Independence · Blue Springs · Grain Valley · Belton · Raymore · Gladstone · Kansas City, KS · Bonner Springs · Paola · Louisburg · Olathe
Program rules, income limits, assistance amounts and funding change often, and some programs pause when money runs out. Confirm current details with MHDC, KHRC, your lender or the city or county office before you count on help. This is general information, not lending advice.
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Information researched November 2026 from the sources linked on this page. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify current details directly with each source. Equal Housing Opportunity.
